What is Normal?
by ShyTales
Summary: Francine Lee, the She-Bat, doesn't really know what is normal in her life. She meets Catwoman and she finds that she really doesn't care if she isn't normal. She has Selina. Oneshot. Read and Review? Thanks. Warning: Femslash.


**A/N: This is AU, of course. I noticed there were no stories about the She-Bat. I put my own spin on things.**

**Warning: Femslash. Don't like, don't read.**

Francine Langstrom considered herself normal. -At least, when there wasn't a full moon- She was widowed. That was normal. Any other person could be a widow. She had a good job. Many people had good jobs. She lived in an apartment. Other people did live in apartments. She was friends with her neighbors, she joined the gym, she went to the library, she did all these normal things. Why did bad things always happen to her? Why did not _normal_ things happen to her?

Why was she this bat monster? All she could do was terrorize people. She had searched for cures and antidotes. Even Batman couldn't help her. She went to the best doctors- the _BEST_ of the best- but still, nothing. She needed a change of scene. Somewhere she could be "herself" per se, but with someone to watch over her. She moved to Gotham. Batman could help her "recover" as much as she could. Hopefully.

Moving to Gotham did help her in some ways. She started her life over again. She changed her name to Francine Lee. When it was the full moon, she would go into her cage in the Batcave that Batman designed for her. She was safe in there. The bars couldn't bend, even with her extra-ordinary strength. Her life was pretty great. Until she found the weak spot in the one bar she never touched before…

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Catwoman had been roaming the streets again. She wasn't looking for anything in particular. She _did_ have other things to do, other than steal shiny things. For example, she liked to sit on a rooftop and stare at the moon. She'd look at how bright and shiny it was. She would compare it to this new diamond she stole the other day… Or, just maybe, that _was_ all she thought about.

But all kidding aside, that night, she was watching the moon when something very large with big ears and wings shot by her view. It landed on the rooftop behind her with a thud. She leapt up into a territorial crouch. Batman was supposed to be cleaning up Harley and Ivy's mess downtown. This creature did look like Batman. The ears, the cape, um, wings looked like him. Then it opened its mouth and let out—nothing. Even with Catwoman's trained cat ears, she couldn't pick up anything. Strange.

It bared its fangs at Catwoman and swiped a clawed wing-thing at her. Catwoman dodged, but the bat was back flying out into the night. Since she had nothing else to do, she followed the bat wherever it went.

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Francine woke up on a couch. It wasn't hers because it was made of leather. She slowly opened her eyes. The room she was in was filled with shiny objects, gems, jewelry, and old heirlooms. She frowned slightly. She sat up and wondered if she should call out and see if anyone was home.

She opened her mouth to ask if anyone was there, but she was interrupted.

"No need to shout, bats. I can hear you," a lady in black yoga pants and a black tank top said. She held out a glass of water. "Don't worry. I didn't put anything in it."

Francine took it and drank it down. She was really thirsty. Her "nightly outings" did that to her. Before asking, "Who are you?" Fran looked at the woman. Tall, black hair, and very fit, from what Francine could tell. She pulled her eyes away from the woman's body as the lady answered.

"I'm Selina Kyle. And you," the girl asked as she sat on the arm of a chair.

"Francine Lee. You called me bats. Why?" Francine was actually really scared about that. If this Selina girl knew, then who else did?

"You were a bat when we first met last night. You have one heck of an arm. I took you back here, my apartment, after you took a nasty crash into someone's car. Don't worry, it wasn't damaged. Maybe a few scratches. You got worse. Look," she pointed to the mirror hanging on the wall to the left of Francine. She looked. It wasn't that bad, but the scratch on her cheek was stitched up and the bruise was even bigger.

"Ouch," Fran admitted. She touched it gingerly.

"You're tellin' me," Selina answered, "So, do you want to tell me what you are? You owe me somewhat of an explanation."

"If you'll take me back to my apartment, then yes, I'll explain. We can grab a coffee on the way. You up for it?" She couldn't believe she was inviting this stranger over to her apartment. Was this normal?

"Sure. Let me grab my wallet and put on some shoes," Selina walked out of the room.

Fran placed the empty glass on the end table and stood up. All the blood rushed to her head and she almost fell down. Strong arms circled around her waist and kept her up.

"Whoa there, bats. No breaking anymore things." The arms let go. Weirdly, she almost groaned because they were gone. Honestly, she hadn't hugged anyone in years, let alone being held up by strong arms, let alone by a girl…

"U-um, t-thanks. Let's get going." She walked to the door and opened it without looking at Selina. She was blushing, she knew that. She hoped Selina didn't notice.

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Catching Francine sent an electric shock through her body. She shook her head and let go. _Now, now, Selina_, she chastised herself,_ you just met her!_ Selina followed her down the stairs after locking the door behind her. They got into Selina's BMW.

"Where do you live?"

Francine told her where she lived, which was surprisingly not far away. Maybe a few blocks southwest. The ride was short. They did not converse, but they shared a comfortable silence. Isn't that meant to be for friends? Or at least someone you know well? Francine was very confused. She wished it was night so she could just go to bed. Maybe this was all a dream.

She let Selina into her apartment, offered her a drink, and then got one herself with some pain medication. She returned with two tall glasses of water. She was still really parched.

"You can sit, if you want," she said to the rigid girl standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. She herself sat in an armchair and allowed Selina to take the couch. She did.

"I owe you an explanation," Francine took a sip of her water. Selina nodded, staying silent. "Well, I was married. My husband had an experiment go wrong and he turned into a bat. Soon after, he gave me the same serum and I turned into a bat. Batman tried to set things right again, but it never worked. My husband died when I transformed that one time and I killed him. We were having a rocky relationship anyway. I moved to Gotham for Batman's help. He'd put me in a cage when I transformed every full moon. Last night I must have got out somehow. Now you know the story."

Selina sat there for a moment. She wasn't big on the sympathy thing, usually, but this story- this girl, was making these feelings come out. Suddenly, without realizing it, she was telling her own story, "When I was a kid, my parents died and I was separated from my sister. After a couple years on the streets, I was the best thief out there. I was trained in martial arts and I'm a great gymnast. I have a feline empathy. Meaning cats, all cats, are my friends. They befriend me and do whatever I want. I don't need them most times. They've gotten me out of a few scratches. My name is Selina Kyle, but most people know me as Catwoman."

"The Bat and the Cat, then?" Francine suggested.

"I suppose so. We have to get you back to Batman, though. He'll be worried… Or as worried as his stony face can get." Selina stood.

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Francine and Selina road up to Bruce Wayne's mansion. They knocked on the door and waited for Alfred to answer.

"Why are we here? Is this Batman's house?" Francine asked.

"Yes. This is Bruce Wayne's house. Bruce is Batman."

Alfred opened the door and let the ladies in. They made their way into the study to wait for "Master Wayne". Selina started checking out the glass sphere on his desk. The door opened and Bruce came in. He sat down behind his desk. Selina sat on his desk provocatively. Something in Fran's stomach pulled at the sight. Anger flared for a few seconds before she calmed down and rethought what she was thinking.

"Selina. You've brought me someone—"

"She knows, Brucie."

"Mmm. Francine, it's nice to meet you in person. I'm sorry that the cage broke last night. I'll have to make a sturdier one. It's good that Selina was there to pick you up afterward."

Fran nodded in ascent, "Nice meeting you, too. Thank you for keeping me in the Batcave. It's really a lot to ask for. So, thank you."

"You have a month to make her a new one, right Batty?" Selina brushed her nails against Bruce's jaw. Francine's hand twitched.

"Yes. That's plenty of time. Though, right now I have to be on my way. Thank you girls for coming." Bruce stood, bowed a little, and left. Alfred showed the girls out.

On the way back to Francine's house, Selina started asking her questions, "Is it all right if I call you bats? And Fran?"

"It's totally okay. Both of them."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Do you have a love interest?"

"Sort of."

"Do you like someone?"

"Maybe."

"Are you just saying that to avoid the question?"

"No. I actually don't know how to feel, right now. It's complicated… Do I get to ask you questions?"

"Shoot," Selina affirmed.

"What was that with Bruce back there?"

"What do you mean?"

"You sat on his desk and ran your nails along his jaw. It seems to me that there is a little tension going on between you two."

"Oh, that! No. There is nothing going on between us. I like to tease him. He usually shows no emotion ever. It's my way of trying to get him to react to something. Don't worry. This has been going on for years."

"If you say so," shrugged Fran.

"I'm serious. Besides, I don't bat for his team. No pun intended."

The car swerved a bit. "What?"

Selina's grip on the dashboard lessened as Francine got control of herself and the car. "Watch out. Don't do that. I'm sorry if I offended you. But I don't date men."

This really didn't help things for Francine. The feelings she was feeling already confused her enough. She felt like Selina belonged to her. She felt like she had to protect Selina. She felt the need for Selina. These were all very confusing to her. And now that Selina admitted that she was totally up for it, and made it possible for Fran to have a relationship with her… Well, that's getting too far into it. They just met that day.

"No, it's not that. I'm fine with that. I just…," she didn't know how to finish that sentence. She could not tell Selina her feelings. That would mess everything up.

"Just," Selina prompted.

"Nothing. Forget about it. I'm sorry for jumping," apologized Francine. She quickly changed the topic, "Can I call you Sel?"

Selina looked at Fran suspiciously, but took up the new topic, anyway, "Definitely."

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

There were no surprises the next day. Francine went to work, as usual. She got home and ate dinner like always. The thing that bothered her all day was that she couldn't get Selina out of her head. What was so unforgettable about that girl? Besides the Catwoman thing. This girl was on her mind all day.

Selina could say the same, as well. Sel didn't have a job, so she had to sit around all day. When she was fed up with thinking about Fran inside, she went outside and thought about her more. It wasn't a conscious effort. She did not think about her on purpose. Maybe the rooftops could distract her. Nope. Maybe going to a bar and starting mischief might distract her. Nope.

_This is stupid_, she thought,_ I bet she doesn't even think about me the way I think about her._ Thoughts swirled around her head. Then Selina thought of her one mistake: her phone number. They didn't exchange phone numbers. How could they talk to each other if they didn't have the numbers? How awkward would it be to go to her apartment and get her number? Should she just wait until they met again?

Without further ado, Selina climbed onto her roof and was off. She deftly jumped from rooftop to rooftop. She landed into a smooth tuck and roll right outside of Francine's front door. She brushed herself off, put her fist to the door, and hesitated. Was this really a good idea?

Suddenly, the door opened and Selina was caught. Her hand was had raised to knock on the door. She lowered it. She took in the sight before her. Francine was dressed in a black wife beater and had gray sweatpants on. Sel's heart beat a bit faster than normal at this sight. The first and only thing to come to her mind to say was, "Hi." _Very smooth._

"Hey, Selina. What are you doing here?" Fran asked.

"Well, I don't really know. I mean, I have a purpose, but I was hoping to bring that up after a few minutes of talking, so it wouldn't be so awkward to ask," she was babbling. Selina Kyle, Catwoman, the sexiest and smoothest bad guy, was babbling.

Fran giggled a bit, "It's no problem. Why don't you come in? Maybe we can talk first and then you can ask me."

Selina nodded and stepped into Fran's apartment. It was neat and clean. She made her way to the living room and sat on the sofa. It seemed like Francine was watching TV and drinking tea before Selina came. Francine sat down on the sofa and curled her feet under herself.

Picking up her mug, Francine said, "How was your day?"

"It was boring. I had nothing to do all day. How about yours?"

"I had work. There's nothing fun in that. Then, at work, some bozo shoved me into a wall while he was walking past me," Fran frowned, "It still hurts. And this guy was huge. He barely fit into that hallway. He could have at least waited until I passed him, or I could have ducked into a doorway. Geez." She took a sip of her tea.

"Do you want me to have a look at it?" Selina asked.

"No, it's fine. It's just bruised."

"Please? I won't touch it if it hurts still. Just let me have a look at it." Selina pouted. Fran looked at her. _That pout is absolutely adorable. How could I say no to that?_

"I guess…" Fran turned her back to Selina. "It's my right shoulder." She tapped the top of the shoulder to emphasis which one it was.

"I know left from right, Fran," Selina said as she moved closer to Francine's back. She started to feel around the front of the shoulder. She massaged it a bit before moving to the side. She started massaging the side of it when she felt a shiver go through Fran. "Did I hurt you," Selina asked.

"N-no. Not at all." Selina smirked behind Fran's back.

She continued to massage the shoulder. Moving to the back of Fran's shoulder, she felt Fran flinch. "There, right?" Fran nodded. Selina avoided that spot, but continued massaging. She moved to the base of Fran's neck, then to her upper back. Earning another shiver, she leaned closer to Francine.

Francine could feel each shiver go through her body unexpectedly. She felt Selina lean closer to her back and Sel's slow breathing on her exposed shoulders. She let out a soft moan. A blush spread across her cheeks and up to her ears. She heard and felt Selina chuckle behind.

"You like that?" Selina's voice was husky and low, sending yet another shiver through Francine.

"So-o much," Francine stuttered out. The things Selina's hands were doing to her…what they _could_ do somewhere else… Francine let slip another moan. Selina's hands crept down Francine's back. Her fingertips slipped onto the skin that was showing at the bottom of her wife beater. She lightly tickled that patch of skin. Her head tilted farther forward, placing a light kiss on Fran's injured shoulder. Another kiss found itself on the base of Fran's neck.

"Sel-lina. You're starting something. You b-better finish it," Francine warned.

"Oh, I will," Selina's deep voice sent a chill down Francine's spine.

Francine turned around and looked into Selina's eyes. They both leaned forward slowly. Francine licked her dry lips and bit her bottom lip. Selina's eyes darted down to her mouth, then back up to Fran's eyes.

They kissed.

Simple as that. Their lips touched, eyes closed, breathes hitched. It was small, but meaningful. A door was opened to both women. They broke apart and looked at each other again. Their eyes conveyed everything. Then, Selina leaned in and attacked Fran's lips. All she felt was lust and a single feeling. She wasn't ready to admit that feeling, though. It was too soon.

Later, they were watching TV. Francine was leaning her head against Selina's shoulder. Everywhere once in a while, Selina would hold Francine's face in front of hers and beg for another kiss. She really liked kissing Francine. That's all they did earlier; kiss. Fran's lips were soft and inviting. Selina couldn't help it. Plus, the show they were watching wasn't very entertaining.

"We should go on a date," Francine said. This made Selina jump a little.

"You mean, like, dinner and a movie kind of thing?" Selina asked tentatively.

"Or a dinner, then we could come back here and watch an old movie, or something." Francine shifted so she could look at Selina.

"Um, well, I've never, um, been on a date before," Selina shifted uncomfortably under Francine's gaze.

"Really," an eyebrow shot up to mark Fran's surprise and question. "You've never been on a date- ever?"

"No. No one has ever been that devoted, I guess. There were a lot of one night stands, though." She grinned guiltily.

"Then, I'm taking you out on a date. Tomorrow, nine o'clock sharp. Be ready by eight fifty, I might be early." Francine placed her head back on Selina's shoulder and paid attention to the show again. Selina let her mind wander. What if things went wrong? What did you even do at dinner? Talking was always okay, but what if there was a stop in the conversation? Selina was definitely not ready for this.

Francine could feel Selina's body tense up. With a knowing smile, she crawled onto Selina and straddled her lap. She had her full attention now. "You have nothing to worry about, Sel. Everything will be okay. You can't tell me you've never eaten in front of someone before. It will be just like that. I promise. Nothing to worry about."

Selina's eyebrows scrunched together, "Are you sure?"

"I am positive, babe. I promise." That was the first time she used that nickname. She looked into Selina's eyes and saw the surprise. She also saw the joy Selina felt about being called "babe". Fran pecked Selina's cheek, then the other, then her forehead, then her nose, then her chin…

"Kiss me," Selina growled. Fran laughed and indulged in Selina's command.

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

That date went great. They both had a wonderful time and Selina was ecstatic to finally experience something as fun as that date. She wanted to go on more. Over the next month, they went on five dates. They didn't all include dinner and a movie. Some of them included going shopping, or going ice skating. Really, they had a great time with each other. Their feelings grew stronger, too. Selina found herself at Francine's house more than she was at her own house. She needed to be closer to Francine. She wanted to find out all about her. With all the time she was sending around Francine, she had no reason to go rob a store, or steal anything. She started to change a little. Maybe it was these new feelings, or maybe, she just didn't feel like stealing. Either way, she got to spend more time with Francine.

Another full moon came, too. Batman had a new cage made up. It was stronger than the other one and he promised Selina that she could stay in the Batcave while Francine was in there. She was really excited about that. She got to be with Fran and _finally_ be allowed to explore the famous Batcave. She was worried for Fran, though. What is the cage wasn't as strong as Bats said? She'd just have to trust him. That night, she stayed around the She-Bat. She had to admit, Francine was one scary monst—whoa. Francine was not a monster. She was one scary bat. She slammed into the bars of the cage with such ferocity; it made Selina jump back away from her. The She-Bat's snarls echoed through the cave creepily. Selina decided she didn't really like the Batcave, after all.

Nearing four in the morning, Selina was sleeping as the She-Bat kept slamming herself into the bars of the cage. Though they were stronger than the old ones, she was slowly denting the bars. The She-Bat wanted out. She _needed_ out. These bars were annoying and keeping her from stretching her wings. A couple more run-ins with the bars and they flew away from the cage and skittered across the floor. She-Bat screeched loudly. Selina woke up at the sound and immediately looked at her lover. Lover? Was that the right word? She definitely liked Francine a lot. Was it love? Selina was ripped from her thoughts as she was knocked out of her chair by She-Bat's claws. Selina started thinking fast as she gained her balance on all fours. She had to knock out the She-Bat. She looked around quickly. There was a loose rock in the ceiling.

Dodging a swipe for the bat, Selina leaped into the air. Using her whip, she latched onto that loose rock. She used her weight to pull it down. Then, Selina aimed it at Francine's head. _No, no. That isn't Francine._ The rock hit the She-Bat in the head and knocked her out cold. It wasn't much of a fight, but Selina felt tired and upset. She felt guilty for hitting her baby in the head. She sat down in another chair and sighed. At least the She-Bat was knocked out for now. Batman was in trouble, though.

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Batman came to check up on the two girls that morning. He found Selina asleep on a chair and Francine naked on the ground a few feet away. He woke Selina first.

"Why is she out of the cage?" He walked over to inspect the bars. "She broke out? Impossible. I made these bars especially for her."

Selina stalked over to him, a frown on her face, "Well, obviously, they weren't strong enough. I had to knock out the She-Bat before she could do any damage." Selina walked over to her girlfriend and knelt down. She shook Francine's shoulder a bit to get her to wake up.

"Francine… Francine, wake up… Fran?... Francine! Batman! She's not waking up." Panic over took every logical thought in Selina's mind. Did she do this? How could she ever forgive herself?

Batman walked over to them and checked Francine's vitals. He scanned her with one of his gadgets and the big screen in the Batcave lit up with Francine's stats.

"She's in a coma," Batman said gravely. "How hard did you hit her?"

"E-enough to knock her out… I don't know! She can't be in a coma because of it. Batman- Bruce, you have to do something. Please." She never thought she would beg for anything, but Francine was that important.

"I will set her up in one of my spare bedrooms. You can stay with her there. I'll look over more of her stats and see if I can come up with anything." Batman then helped set up her room.

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Two weeks passed. Their one month anniversary passed. Everything passed as Selina stayed with Francine in that one bedroom. Selina was getting thinner. Her face was sunken in; she had dark shadows underneath her eyes. Francine looked healthy, though. She was being fed through a tube. Her breathing was fine. Her vitals were all fine, she just hadn't woken up yet. Selina would read stories to her. Sometimes she would recount some of the things she had done to get a jewel or get some money. Selina knew they said that the person in comatose could hear people around them, sometimes. She was hoping Fran could hear her.

Usually, she would stroke Fran's hair softly, like she was doing now, and whisper things into her ear. How much she missed her smile, her eyes, and her lips. How much she missed the way they could chat easily and not care about the world around them.

"And I really miss you, baby," Selina stroked Fran's hair. "And I love you. And I love you…I love you…"

That was the first time she said those three words. The first time either of them said those three words, but Fran couldn't give an answer. Selina didn't know what she was waiting for. She paused, let out a chuckle infused sigh, and left the room. She went back to her apartment to mourn about her loss. Selina couldn't admit it was over, it had only been two weeks, but she missed Francine so much.

Back at the Batcave, Bruce was working on an adrenaline punch that would wake Francine up from her coma. He didn't know if it would work, but he'd try. He walked up to her room on the second floor. He opened the door and closed it. Francine was there, as expected. What wasn't expected, though, was that her eyes were open. Bruce put down the needle he was carrying on the bedside table and leaned over Francine. He shone a light into her eyes and they dilated properly. He carefully took out the feeding tube.

"Francine? Francine, can you hear me?" Bruce asked. Francine groaned something and began to blink out of her stupor. He sat her up and gave her some water to drink.

"Where am I?" She looked around. This wasn't her room.

"You're at my manor," Bruce said, "You were in a coma after the last time you became the She-Bat."

Francine's eyebrows came together in confusion as she noticed something was missing from the room. "Where's Selina. She was whispering in my ear. I thought she was right next to me."

"She probably left for a while. She will be back. For now, though, you need some rest. I'll give you these pain killers and then you need to sleep." As Bruce told her this, she noticed the throbbing in her head. She nodded, took the medicine, and drifted off back to sleep.

Selina came in later at night. She slept a bit herself and took a well needed shower. Her plan tonight was to tell Francine she loved her again. That's all she could do, anyway. Selina leaned her elbows onto the bed and stroked Fran's hair.

"Hey, Fran," Selina whispered, "I'm sorry for leaving you for a bit. I had to handle some personal things. I hope you didn't miss me too much, baby. I love you." She kissed Fran's forehead and sat down in the chair that was placed near the head of the bed for Selina. She held Fran's hand and waited.

"I…ove…ew…" Selina heard. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but then she felt Fran squeeze her hand. Francine started shifting a bit, too.

"Francine?" Selina asked in awe and surprise.

"I love…you." Fran's lips were moving and her voice was stronger. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on Selina. "I love you."

Selina smiled and kissed Francine. Tears threatened to spill over as she gazed at her girlfriend. "You're awake."

"I am," Fran sat up in the bed and drank some of the water on the table next to her. "I woke up earlier, but you weren't here. I thought you were. You were whispering things."

"I'm so sorry I left," Selina hugged Fran tightly. "I love you so much."

Fran hugged back and smiled, "I knew it wasn't my imagination."

~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~

Another month passed. Francine was all patched and back to work. Selina couldn't believe how lucky she was, or they both were. Francine could've…well, it could've been bad. Catwoman wasn't on the streets anymore. On more than one occasion, she was seen helping Batman, rather than distracting him. Selina felt good about that. It seems like Francine was more than she ever wanted, and that was a good thing.

Francine, though, wasn't thinking about if things were normal. She decided she didn't want to be normal. She liked how things were. Francine loved every moment of her weirdness. Now that she had Selina, things were starting to look up. She never knew her life could be this good. Selina had even moved in with her last week. Proposing to Selina was way off, but she knew she wanted to marry that woman. One day, she would and they'd get married and maybe even have kids. But, right now, she was very thankful that not being normal led to meeting Selina. _Very_ thankful.


End file.
